Page 10 of Her Former Bear Mate

"Yeah, I know it."

"Their coffee is amazing, isn't it?Much better than this cheap stuff.Why don't I buy you a cuppa sometime?My treat."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Lena replied.She was sure Mandy was lovely and that some people might really like how forward she was, but she wasn't interested.She hadn't been when she was dating Aditi and she wasn't now she was single.

Mandy didn't look all that discouraged and strategically stayed where she was, blocking the exit."How about dinner then?You've been working late this week, it'll be good to relax a little, maybe have a glass of wine."

"Umm...I've still got a lot on my plate so I don't think so," Lena said, wishing she could escape.If she were a dragon shifter, she would have the option of jumping out of any window but unfortunately, her genes were a let down on that front.

It seemed like Mandy finally got the hint."Alright, but you know where to find me if you change your mind."

Lena was pretty sure she wasn't going to but she smiled and nodded anyway, just glad she could get out of here.She made it halfway back to the stairwell when she was cornered by Craig.

"Ahh, Lena!"He waved and jogged over, clipboard trapped under his armpit."I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Really?"Lena replied.For the life of her, she couldn't work out why he wanted to talk to her.If anything, she was surprised he even knew her name.

He paused in front of her and held out his fist for a fist bump.

Lena refused."What can I do for you?"

"You remember that last staff party?You brought a really pretty friend with you.Darker skin, really nice eyes.What's her name?"

"Why are you asking?"Lena asked instead, an uncomfortable feeling stirring in her stomach.She could already guess why he was inquiring.It was always the same reason.

Craig grinned."Just thought she was really cute and I've been wondering if I could get her number?"

"No," Lena said coolly.It wasn't like she begrudged Aditi love, but she wasn't going to play matchmaker for her ex.Over her dead body.

"Why not?I'm a pretty nice guy," he insisted.

"I said no.And that wasn't my friend, that's my girlfriend," Lena hissed out, not even caring about the pedantics of how they were technically not girlfriends anymore.

Craig looked pretty disappointed."Oh, I didn't realise you were...No, you know, that makes sense."

"And why is that?"

"Well, cause you look so—" He gestured her up and down before seemingly realising he was being incredibly rude."Sorry, I'm stereotyping.Anyway, well done on the relationship.Hot stuff."

Lena seriously considered assaulting him with his own clipboard but that might facilitate a meet-cute with Aditi in the hospital.

This was why she hated coming up to here, there was something wrong with the people here.

She stomped to the stairs, glad when she made it without another interruption.She thundered back to her own floor while her mind replayed the insistent requests from Mandy and the shiver-inducing conversation with Craig.

What a way to make a bad day worse.Especially because claiming Aditi as hers had been such an automatic response, something that just rolled off her tongue like a fact because once upon a time, it had been a fact.An irrefutable, universal truth.

And now, it made her a liar.

Lena hated being a liar just as much as she hated liars.

With a sigh, she settled back at her desk.The picture of her and Aditi was still sitting on the corner of her desk, a little memento from their first weekend trip away.She should’ve thrown it away when they broke up but the silly sentimental part inside her was not managing to let go.

She picked up the small frame and brushed her thumb over Aditi’s face.They looked young and carefree and so, so happy.It was making Lena’s stomach churn.They’dbeenso happy, why couldn’t it have lasted?

She glanced at the bin next to her desk, really tried to throw it away, but put the frame back next to her monitor in defeat.

Who was she kidding?

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